Dr. Noah Lelek

Dr. Noah Lelek, Associate Professor of Theatre, received a Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Missouri in 2012, where he was the Assistant Director for the MU Interactive Theatre Troupe and a member of the prestigious Rollins Society. He also received a B.S.Ed. in Speech and Theatre Education and a M.A. in Theatre, both from Missouri State University. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked briefly with a theatre company in Chicago creating original musicals with incarcerated youth. His work focuses on creating dialogue and social justice through theatre and performance. In 2015, Dr. Lelek was awarded the Diversity Award for Excellence from the Mississippi Board of Trustees and the Mid-Career Award for Artistic Scholarship, Teaching and Leadership from the National Communication Association. His research and creative interests include devising, performance auto/ethnography, directing, and lighting design. He is the creator and Artistic Director of the TWU Interactive Theatre Troupe. The troupe has performed for several conferences including the 2018 Cultivating Safe College Campuses Conference at Southern Methodist University, a plenary session at the 22nd Annual Texas Higher Education Law Conference, and the 39th Annual North American Drama Therapy Association Conference. Most recently, he has been developing a nursing simulation program at TWU-Dallas between theatre and nurse practitioner students.